Ukraine presidential election

A member of the election commission prepares ballot boxes at one of the polling stations in Kiev on May 24, 2014, a day before the presidential election in Ukraine. (AFP Photo/Anatolii Stepanov) / AFP

Presidential election in Ukraine has concluded amid unrest, precipitated by a recent power takeover. Ukrainian confectionery tycoon Pyotr Poroshenko is in a commanding lead after the first round of voting, as Lugansk and Donetsk boycott the vote.

A homemade bomb has been detected near the administration building of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, reports Ukrainian news agency UNIAN.

The bomb is reportedly consisted of several grenades, sub-munitions and a cell phone. A man who set up the bomb was noticed, but he escaped before putting the bomb into the firing position.

26 May 2014

13:19 GMT

Monitors of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) characterized the Ukrainian elections as “transparent and largely in line with procedures” in a report issued Monday.

According to the OSCE statement drawing on conclusions of some 1,000 observers, there was a “high turnout and the clear resolve of authorities to hold what was a genuine election largely in line with international commitments and with a respect for fundamental freedoms in the vast majority of the country,” with a notable exception of Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

Speaking at the Monday press conference on preliminary findings, OSCE representatives largely painted a positive picture of the elections, with the exception of some “transparency issues” that arose on the eve of the polls. Some major problems, according to the OSCE version of events, arose during the election campaign, “subdued and overshadowed by political and security developments.”

According to the OSCE, there were “intimidation and attacks on party offices” and candidates “obstructed in their campaign.” While pointing at such cases in eastern Ukraine, the monitors failed to mention that intimidation and attacks also targeted opposition leaders, as was in the case of brutal beating of withdrawn candidate Oleg Tsaryov, former Party of Regions MP.

08:05 GMT

Famous boxer and leader of Ukrainian Udar (Strike) Party, Vitaly Klitschko, is leading the Kiev mayoral elections with 56.33 percent of the vote, according to results so far received from 52 percent of the Ukrainian capital’s polling stations.

07:50 GMT

Members of the Poroshenko election campaign team do not expect the election results to be challenged.

“We are not expecting any ‘surprises’,” said head of Pyotr Poroshenko’s central election headquarters, Vitaly Kovalchuk. “Besides we hope that other presidential candidates who took part in the election campaign won’t undertake any legal action in order to postpone the moment of the official announcement of voting results by the Central Election Commission.”

06:43 GMT

Hackers attempted to attack the site of Ukrainian Central Election Committee with the purpose of posting figures that would make leader of the extremist Right Sector movement, Dmitry Yarosh, the winner of the presidential race, according to UNN news agency, citing the head of the country’s Special Communications Agency, Vladimir Zverev. The attempt at a provocation was reportedly prevented.

06:26 GMT

With 45.28 percent of the election protocols counted, Pyotr Poroshenko is leading the race with 54.05 percent of the votes cast, according to the Central Elections Committee.Poroshenko’s main election rival, ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko of the Batkivschina (Fatherland) Party, has garnered 13.13 percent of the vote.

03:14 GMT

Ukrainian confectionery tycoon Pyotr Poroshenko has spent 90 million hryvnia ($ 7.5 million) on his election campaign, head of the Joint Staff of the candidate Vitaliy Kovalchukat announced at a press briefing..

02:01 GMT

With 10.17 percent of the election protocols counted, Poroshenko is leading the race with 54.8 percent of the votes cast, according to the Central Elections Committee

25 May 2014

20:43 GMT

Sources in Donetsk city administration told Ria Novosti that elections did not take place in large parts of the region, in 23 cities and 6 districts.